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At what point in your career in a big firm did you get to tag along to client meetings? In other words, when did you begin to get client facetime?

NYC lit here. First year was some client contact, mostly because I went to trial and the client was there every day. Fifth year now and email or talk on the phone with the (different) client every day, often without partner supervision. I think it depends more on the client and how hands on they are than on you, although the partners trust me and feel comfortable that I won't say something stupid.

A couple months in

went to hearing second week and met the client

I do transactional work...it was within a few days of being put on my very first matter.

One month.

I miss that sweet 2 month or so period when clients didnt call me directly.

Second year nyc transactional and have never met a client in person. Started speaking directly to clients etc around end of first year, but still don’t really do so regularly (maybe speak directly to a client like once a week absolute tops). Email them all the time, obviously, but rarely anything substantive other than just trading drafts or whatever.

Lit and within a couple months dealing with a third-party subpoena. As a midlevel I started to get client contact pretty regularly.

NoLongerALurker wrote:Second year nyc transactional and have never met a client in person. Started speaking directly to clients etc around end of first year, but still don’t really do so regularly (maybe speak directly to a client like once a week absolute tops). Email them all the time, obviously, but rarely anything substantive other than just trading drafts or whatever.

Same here, chicago tax associate

I'm a mid-level in Chicago corporate and have been spending substantial amounts of time talking to clients since my second year. Disclosure schedules, which are junior/mid-level associate work, generally require fairly heavy client contact. I actually spent a week at a client's office and met the GC and CEO in my second year.

Same re anon above - disclosure schedules for M&A deals kept me on the phone with client a LOT as a first year.

Also did several cap markets deals which required me to go to client (we usually repped the issuer) and do on-site diligence (and supervise underwriter's counsel doing diligence) for a couple days. Was cool to get live facetime with clients in their offices.

Also IPO S-1 page flips at the printer, client's CFO was usually there with us. Not sure if anyone actually goes to the printer anymore though. I'm old. Sigh.

edit - spent 4.5 years NYC v10 biglaw corporate. now in-house at a client (hooray!)